This invention relates to the field of electrical connectors and more particularly to radio frequency (RF) connectors that find application in portable radio transceivers.
Portable radio transceivers usually include a durable plastic outer housing which contains a main printed circuit board attached to a rectangular frame. The housing is typically divided into at least two sections with one section being removable to facilitate assembly and repair of the radio transceiver. An external RF connector is typically attached to the housing, such that an external antenna or a radio test fixture can be attached directly to the RF input/output (i.e. antenna terminal) of the radio transceiver.
In the past, coaxial cable has been used to interconnect the printed circuit board and the external RF connector. Although coaxial cable usually provides a good electrical interconnection between the printed circuit board and the external RF connector, the use of coaxial cable creates problems in the manufacture of the radio transceiver because it requires a separate soldering and wire stripping operation which is usually done by hand.
It would be desirable, therefore, to have an interconnect that could be entirely machine assembled, have substantially 50 Ohm impedance at the desired frequency, and allow for easy disassembly in the event that repair is necessary. Because of inherent dimensional manufacturing tolerances between the housing which contains the external RF connector, and the frame assembly with attached printed circuit board, it would also be advantageous if this interconnect could compensate for any misalignment between the housing and the frame assembly while still maintaining good electrical contact. Because misalignment can occur in any direction, it would also be desirable for this interconnect to provide for "three-dimensional" or "triaxial" self-alignment; that is, to provide self-alignment in any direction parallel to any one of three perpendicular axes or any combination of those three directions.